Traveler
01-21-2010, 01:30 PM
Posted January 20, 2010, 10:21 am
Some draft early entries should interest
Fifty-three players have been granted special exemption by the NFL to enter the 2010 draft as underclassman — that ties the most available in any draft.
But a few of the names are in some need positions for the Broncos as they continue to sort through what happened this past season. Everybody loves the potential of Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain and the Broncos will as well.
McClain is not only one of the more athletic linebackers now on the board, but he’s also one of the biggest — in the 250-pound range — making him a better fit for the Broncos 3-4 look than, say, Penn State’s Navorro Bowman, who also entered the draft as an underclassman.
Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford are the biggest-name quarterbacks among the underclassmen, but neither has the big frame Josh McDaniels has shown himself to be partial to when searching for a passer. Bradford is tremendously accurate, however, which is a much in adapting to the pro game, so he could throw his way into consideration despite coming off shoulder surgery.
Certainly Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy will be one of the top prospects on any team’s board. And with 15.5 tackles for loss this past season to go with 6.5 sacks from the interior, he could project as an end in the 3-4.
An intriguing prospect to watch among the early entries is East Carolina’s mammoth defensive tackle Joseph Linval. Linval weighed over 370 pounds — at about 6-feet-6-inches tall — early in his college career, but played closer to 330 pounds this past season.
Linval had 60 tackles this season with 13 of those for loss. And he tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries despite rushing from the interior and through double teams much of the time.
If Linval, given the amount of teams on the lookout for strong interior players on defense, shows himself to be ready to work in the coming workout season he’ll move up the board.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/01/20/some-draft-early-entries-should-interest-broncos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dp-blogs-broncos+%28Denver+Post%3A+Sports%3A+Broncos%3A+Blo g%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail
Anyone have more information about Linval? Not being a draft geek, this is the first I've heard of him.
Some draft early entries should interest
Fifty-three players have been granted special exemption by the NFL to enter the 2010 draft as underclassman — that ties the most available in any draft.
But a few of the names are in some need positions for the Broncos as they continue to sort through what happened this past season. Everybody loves the potential of Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain and the Broncos will as well.
McClain is not only one of the more athletic linebackers now on the board, but he’s also one of the biggest — in the 250-pound range — making him a better fit for the Broncos 3-4 look than, say, Penn State’s Navorro Bowman, who also entered the draft as an underclassman.
Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford are the biggest-name quarterbacks among the underclassmen, but neither has the big frame Josh McDaniels has shown himself to be partial to when searching for a passer. Bradford is tremendously accurate, however, which is a much in adapting to the pro game, so he could throw his way into consideration despite coming off shoulder surgery.
Certainly Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy will be one of the top prospects on any team’s board. And with 15.5 tackles for loss this past season to go with 6.5 sacks from the interior, he could project as an end in the 3-4.
An intriguing prospect to watch among the early entries is East Carolina’s mammoth defensive tackle Joseph Linval. Linval weighed over 370 pounds — at about 6-feet-6-inches tall — early in his college career, but played closer to 330 pounds this past season.
Linval had 60 tackles this season with 13 of those for loss. And he tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries despite rushing from the interior and through double teams much of the time.
If Linval, given the amount of teams on the lookout for strong interior players on defense, shows himself to be ready to work in the coming workout season he’ll move up the board.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/01/20/some-draft-early-entries-should-interest-broncos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dp-blogs-broncos+%28Denver+Post%3A+Sports%3A+Broncos%3A+Blo g%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail
Anyone have more information about Linval? Not being a draft geek, this is the first I've heard of him.